


Wings off of Butterflies

by Quinn_is_Here



Category: Rune Factory (Video Games), Rune Factory 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, F/F, this is gonna be a long one I feel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:21:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26645158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinn_is_Here/pseuds/Quinn_is_Here
Summary: Amber just wants life to be normal again.
Relationships: Amber/Xiao Pai (Rune Factory)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to SketchWitch for beta reading! And another thanks to the RF Server that motivated me to write this <3 (they're great)

It was a lovely sunny Saturday fall morning in Kardia. It was cold, sure, but the sun was shining through Amber’s windows and curtains, bringing that warm fuzzy feeling. The girl woke slowly, stretching in bed. She hugged her pillow as she debated sleeping in a bit longer. Saturday was really the only day she could, seeing as high school required her getting up 6:30 every morning.

“Amber!” The voice of her roommate rang through the house. “Get up or you don’t get any waffles!”

“Coming!” She grumbled. She sat up, looking for her slippers before stepping on the probably-very-cold ground and grabbing her phone. Yawning as she made her way out of her room and down the hall to the kitchen, she silently took a seat at the table.

“Morning, Ambsy!” The voice of the aforementioned roommate, Illuminata, said. “Want honey on your waffle?”

“Always…” she mumbled as she rubbed the morning fuzzies out of her eyes.

Lumie got to work, pouring batter into their waffle maker. She was humming an eerie tune—the one to one of her favorite murder mystery dramas—as she moved to the stove, where Amber noticed she was brewing tea with the kettle.

“Is that all for you?”

The woman laughed. “Ha! I wish. I know you always want a cup of tea in the morning.”

Amber sighed as she waited. She scrolled through the apps on her phone, tapping along until she saw she had a text. She read it with a soft smile.

_xiao_panda: Bright morning! How are you being? ___

____

____

She giggled at her girlfriend’s daily morning text before thumbing in a response.

_You: just woke up!! having waffles and tea_

__

__

_xiao_panda: Oh yay! Waffles are very tasting, yes?_

__

__

_You: yeah, they are!! you should come over sometime when you aren’t busy helping your mom :0c ___

____

____

_xiao_panda: That is sounding like fun! ___

__

__

__

__

“What’re you smiling so wide at?” Illuminata teased as she set down a plate full of waffles. She set down the honey Amber loved so much, along with some strawberries she had just washed.

“Xiao! We really need to get another date set…” she answered as she drizzled honey over her waffles. She began to cut and eat. “Ish the tea almosht ready?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full unless you want a contest!” Lumie said. She stood up and walked to the stove as the kettle began to whistle. She grabbed two teacups from the cupboard and poured them both a drink before returning.

“Aw yeah, Saturday morning tea!” Amber cheered as she blew on the tea. She lightly sipped it, flinching at how hot it was.

Illuminata laughed. “You never learn from burning your lip in the past, do you?”

“Not when it comes to tea!”

The conversation continued as most of theirs do—light-hearted and poking fun at one another. They cleaned up their dishes and waited for the waffle maker to cool down. Lumie poured herself another cup of tea.

She turned to Amber. “Want to drink on the porch?”

“But it’s cold!” She groaned.

“Not when it comes to tea.” She said with a smile. Amber sighed and poured herself a cup, following the other to the front porch. She sat on the swinging bench as she normally did, and Lumie sat in a stationary cushioned arm chair right across.

“Nothing like a cold, sunny day.”

“A warm, sunny day!” Amber said as she slowly sipped her cup. Lumie chuckled at her comment.

“It can’t be warm year round, Amber, no matter how much you want it to be.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know!” She swung a little bit. “The cold is just so awful, you know—“

The sound of a distant car alarm going off stopped her. Both her and Illuminata perked up, the latter raising a brow in curiosity.

“Hmm… sounds like a case.” She pondered as she adjusted her glasses. Amber snorted.

“Not everything is a mystery, Lumie!”

“Not everything isn’t!”

The two began to laugh, but soon stopped as they heard a scream. Illuminata stood, peering over down the road. Amber stood as well.

“What was that?”

“No idea…” Lumie handed Amber her empty cup. “Could you clean this? I’m gonna go see what’s going on.”

“Okay! Be careful!” She said as she watched the woman walk down the porch steps and to the sidewalk. Amber turned and walked into the house, shutting the door behind her. She got to cleaning the dishes, putting a few drying on the counter away. As she finished her chore and changed into her clothes for the day, she realized that Lumie had been gone for 10 minutes.

The girl began to walk around her house in laps, pacing as 10 minutes turned to 15. She attempted to text Illuminata, but soon realized that would prove fruitless, as her phone was resting on the counter.

At around minute 17, Amber was nervously drumming her fingers on the table when she heard banging on the front door.

“Lumie..?” She called out, stepping towards the door. The banging continued, and Amber reached out for the door handle of the screen door, pulling it aside, and began to do the same for the front door.

She had barely opened the door before it was being forced open, grotesque hands reaching in and scratching at the wood. Amber screamed, trying to slam the door on the hand. She put all of her body weight against the pressure of the door being forced open. She shuddered as she heard low, guttural groans from the other side. With one last push, she forced the door shut as best she could and ran.

The door flew open anyway, and Amber noticed the rotting smell as it emanated from the rotting figure. It was a human—or in the shape of a person—and was tumbling towards her. She ran from the doorway and through the kitchen, making her way to the door leading to the garage.

She burst through, aggressively hitting the button to open the large garage door. Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw the decaying mass following her. Amber ran into the garage, looking for something—anything—to defend herself. She spotted a shovel leaning against the wall. She quickly grabbed it.

A loud growl rang out just above her shoulder, causing her to turn around. She put up the shovel in defense just as the thing attempted to gnaw at her. Looking over her attacker, Amber realized what she was facing.

A zombie.

She shuddered but stood firm. Lumie had taught her basic self defense maneuvers, so she kicked the zombie in its gut. As it fell back, Amber lifted the shovel and hit it in its head, the blade cutting through its skin and into the fragile skull.

She shook it off the shovel, watching as the form fell to the ground. She jabbed it’s head once more to be sure before running up to the set of hooks where Lumie hung her keys.

“Gotta find Lumie…” she repeated to herself, grabbing shoes and hopping into the driver’s seat of Lumie’s convertible. She didn’t really know how to drive, she was still learning, but finding Illuminata mattered more.

She backed out of the garage and driveway quickly and onto the street. She shifted the gear into drive and began cruising down the road into the main city of Kardia. The roads were empty at first, but soon, there were more people and cars and zombies.

———

Amber drove past the farms, watching as people ran or fought for their lives. Finding herself distracted, Amber didn’t realize she had been drifting off the road. She slammed on the brake as the car teetered off the road and into the small ditch, luckily on the passenger’s side, and failed to move.

“No… no, no, no!” Amber unbuckled, turning the keys and slowly making her way out of the now crashed car. She would have to make the rest of the way into town on foot.

She’s really lucky she grabbed her boots. Of course, she typically walked into town on a daily basis, but the threat of a zombie apocalypse and the weight of a shovel in your hands can shorten your breath.

She passed the chapel and the bathes where her girlfriend worked before stopping. She looked back at the building, tempted to find her girlfriend.

But she needed to find Illuminata.

“I’ll find you next, Xiao…” she muttered, making her way to the lower levels of Kardia. She ran past the general goods store and the clinic, which were now being looted for anything for anyone’s survival.

“Amber!” She heard a voice call out. Looking around, she saw a woman standing in front of the library.

“Miss Rosetta?” She ran over to her, the woman lightly grabbing her shoulders.

“Oh, thank gods you’re okay!” She sighed, looking around. “Come on, some of us are seeking shelter in here.”

“But I can’t find Lumie!”

“Illuminata’s a strong person. Trust me, she’ll be fine.” Rosetta said, grabbing Amber’s free hand. “Now come on, we gotta get inside.”

As she was led into the library, Amber looked back over her shoulder, gazing over the new carnage and ruin of Kardia.

———

“We’re very lucky that we’ve kept so many snacks in our break room.”

Amber looked up at the librarian, Russell, as he took out a few water bottles from the fridge. She clutched her shovel as she gazed around the room, panic in the air and nerves high.

Only a few people took refuge in the library—Rosetta, Russell, his daughter Cecilia, and Tori, an employee of his. She kicked her legs about as they stayed quiet, the room full of anxiety and potential methods of defense.

“Do we know how long we’re gonna be in here?” Cecelia asked quietly. She was rather young, seemingly very nervous at what was happening.

“No, but it’ll be alright.” Her father assured her softly. “We just need to stay quiet.”

The child nodded, curling up in the corner as her dad held her. Rosetta lightly paced around the room as Amber and Tori sat in silence.

She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but she did. Amber dozed off while sitting upright in her chair. She vaguely remembered someone lightly setting the shovel down on the ground next to her as she slept.

Amber dreamed that she was still in bed, curled up under her blankets, sleeping in like she usually would be on a Saturday morning.

———

They were piled in that break room of the library for about three days, and Amber never hated anything more than being stuck inside. Nothing eventful had happened throughout the past 72 hours besides the basic noise of stray animals coming through. Russell offered to look around outside real quick, bringing a plank of wood for self defense.

“It seems to be clear.” He said quietly as he reentered. “I do think we should have something to defend ourselves with.”

“Even then, we can outrun them!” Rosetta said as she stood from the ground. “But you’re right, we should have a weapon on us just in case.”

Amber got up from her chair and grabbed her shovel. “I got this.”

“You do! That’s great!” Rosetta cheered. She blinked as Amber began walking towards the exit. “Hey… where are you going?”

“Home. I need to see if Lumie’s there.”

“Amber, it isn’t safe!”

“She might not be either!” She cried. “I have to make sure.”

“Amber, don’t you leave—“

“Rosetta,” Russell interjected, “I think she can handle herself.”

The blonde sighed and looked at the teen. “Be safe, Amber.”

“I will be.” She said, then walked out.

The streets of Kardia were barren of life—wreckage and the signs of former chaos littered the streets. Amber quietly made her way back up the street, holding the shovel close.

The quiet was normal for the town, yes, but the atmosphere that came with it wasn’t. It was eerie, reminding Amber of Lumie humming the tunes to her mystery dramas. Her breath hitched as she held back a sob, quickening her pace as she made it to her street.

To say her house was a mess was an understatement. The garage and front doors were still open, and things were taken and knocked over in the alcove. She slowly stepped in, looking over the wreckage and what was left behind. Holding back her tears, Amber made her way to Illuminata’s room. She found the door wide open, things scrambled around the floor. She walked over to the bed and got down on her knees, leaning over to look under the bed frame.

Thank god, it was still there.

Amber pulled out an ornate chest Lumie hid under her bed. It was full of memorabilia and items near and dear to her: her old magnifying glass, her journal of pressed flowers, old mystery novels with notes in the margins about clues and such.

And, an old baseball cap from when she was Amber’s age.

She grabbed the hat, examining it before putting it on her head. She finally let herself sob, leaning over the chest of Lumie’s belongings. Grabbing the book of pressed flowers, Amber closed the chest and pushed it back under the bed.

She took a deep breath and stood.

Beginning to search the house for a backpack, Amber grabbed everything she could—snacks from her secret stash, extra clothes and socks, her and Lumie’s now-dead cell phones—and put the items into the bag with the flower book. She tipped her cap and headed out the front door.

“Alright, Lumie,” she said as she stood on the front porch, staring down the street. “I’m coming to find you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to SpinachArtichokeDitz for beta reading! This one had a lot of typos, ha

Amber’s plan to find Illuminata was easier said than done. Besides the obvious reason of her not knowing where she was, there was also the matter of traveling—going country wide on foot would take too long. Amber heard of cities becoming safe havens and others falling to ruin, like Kardia. What fate befell each city she had no clue, but she was willing to take a risk if it meant getting closer to finding Lumie.

Kardia, through its ruin, was able to somewhat rebuild after the first attack. The clinic was top priority, and was the most protected building whenever there was another wave of zombies through the following month. Amber often helped fight them off. They had lost a few people, by way of them succumbing to the hordes or by escaping.

Transportation was hard to get nowadays. Lumie’s old convertible was still lying in that ditch, missing parts needed for it to run. Amber checked it often, looking for anything useful that could’ve been missed. Today was another day of scavenging. She didn’t look into the car for parts much anymore, but rather she stopped by just to vent. Being in a small place in the quiet was nice, and she could just cry and ramble without having to worry. She laid down in the back seat, looking up through the now missing sunroof. She set down her shovel and sighed.

“Hey, Lumie…,” she muttered, as if somehow, the woman would hear her. “It’s been a rough month. I hope you’re out there, enjoying November.”

She closed her eyes and listened to her surroundings—the wind blowing, a distant wind chime that miraculously still hung, the caws and chirps of birds moving on without a care in the world. Sighing into her hands, Amber slowly sat up. She hugged her knees as she gazed at the sky.

She desperately wanted to go back to how things were—to go to the arcade with friends, have dinner with Xiao and her mom, and to be snug in bed until Illuminata woke her with breakfast. Hell, she even missed going to school. Amber felt herself tear up.

“I’m still trying to find you,” she choked. “I’ve got your flower journal and your old hat. I… I couldn’t find the new one you wear. I think it might have been taken—“

She heard a faint rustling nearby, causing her to go quiet. She slowly shifted to grab her shovel, climbing out of the back seat. Grasping it tightly, Amber lifted the shovel over her head, ready to fight.

A small possum came out of the bushes.

Amber stopped and stared. It stared right back. The girl slowly lowered her shovel and chuckled.

“Well, you sure gave me a scare, there,” she said, kneeling. “Good to see possums aren’t scared of zombies.”

Holding her hand out, Amber made a light _tsk tsk _noise. It crept over, sniffing her fingers. She scratched its chin, making its eyes close happily.__

__“Are you a possum or an o-possum?” she asked. She stopped and thought. “I don’t know why I asked that; you can’t speak.”_ _

__She picked up the rodent. “I’m just gonna call you Possum. Makes it easy.” She started making her way back through to town, Possum moving to rest on her shoulder. This allowed her to hold her now rusty shovel at the ready._ _

__The walk to Kardia was, thankfully, uneventful. The town was much smaller now, only consisting of one inhabitable strip of buildings. A barter system had sprouted in place of money, leaving open the possibilities for trade of food, weapons, medicine, and anything that people were scrambling to find._ _

__Amber had a fine collection of necessities, herself. She had a few small cans of food, a first aid kit she had been given, a canteen, an empty flask, and a pocket knife she had found. Not much to trade around, but she was willing to give some things up to help make it to a safe place._ _

__Walking along the sidewalk, Amber came up to where the new market place was set up. Small, nearly empty stalls were set up in a row. She recognized one as the remnants of the Spearfish Shack, where people could go to fish freely and cook their meals afterward. The owner, a woman named Sabrina, waved to Amber as she passed._ _

__She strode up to the stall that now made up the general store, where Rosetta was working. The blonde turned as Amber approached, smiling._ _

__“Hey, Amber! What do you—“ Her eyes landed on Possum. “Is… is that a possum?”_ _

__“...Maybe?” she replied, scratching the rodent’s head._ _

__“Well, don’t try and hide it on my account,” Rosetta laughed. “But yeah! You need anything?”_ _

__“Got any food that doesn’t have a claim on it?”_ _

__She shook her head. “Nope. Got barely anything left that isn’t up for grabs.” She gave Amber an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Ambs.”_ _

__“Don’t worry about it! Times are hard.” The girl waved her hand. “I have stuff, anyways, I just wanted to check.”_ _

__“Well, that’s good. Oh!” Rosetta turned and grabbed a small chest, which was about the size of a jewelry box. “That Ivan guy asked for this a while ago. Hell knows why, ‘cause it’s empty.”_ _

__“Maybe he just wants it?”_ _

__“I guess. But anyways, could you take this to him?” She held it out. “I would, but I gotta make sure no one tries to steal shit.”_ _

__Amber shifted her shovel to one hand, taking the box with the other. “I don’t mind! I’m not doing much.”_ _

__“You’re a lifesaver. Be careful!” she called out as Amber began to walk away. Amber didn’t know too much about Ivan, only that he was related to someone in town, but that was well enough. She also knew that he spent most of his time in higher Kardia, past the farms and houses. It was quite the trek, but Amber had made the walk multiple times before._ _

__———_ _

__It was about a 20 to 25 minute walk, but Amber made it there relatively uneventfully. She had a small scare along the way, thinking that she saw a zombie in one of the fields. Deciding it was nothing, Amber moved on to find Ivan sitting on a bench, overlooking Kardia._ _

__“Um… excuse me?”_ _

__The man turned his head towards her. “Ah, hello. May I help you?”_ _

__Amber walked forward, handing him the small box. “Rosetta wanted me to give this to you.”_ _

__He smiled as he took the box. “Thank you. I’m glad she was able to find it.”_ _

__“Rosetta’s good at that stuff.”_ _

__“That she is.”_ _

__They fell into what Amber felt was an awkward silence. Possum jumped off of her shoulder and stretched, circling around her feet. She fiddled with her shovel, slowly starting to walk away._ _

__“My brother made this for me.”_ _

__Amber perked up and turned back around. “Oh! Well, that’s… nice of him.”_ _

__“I haven’t seen him since this all started.” He sighed, lightly tracing the lid. Amber felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She looked down at the ground._ _

__“I know how you feel… I haven’t seen my roommate since then, either.” she said, walking over to the bench. She didn’t sit down, but she did look over the landscapes of Kardia. “I have no idea where they could be, either.”_ _

__He was quiet for a moment before looking up. “Do you know about Selphia?”_ _

__“I’ve read about it, yeah. Why?”_ _

__“Its walls have become a safety zone during this whole ordeal. That’s where most people have gone, too.”_ _

__She perked up. “Really? Is there a way to get there?”_ _

__Ivan nodded. “There’s a man who’s been driving people through the Sechs Empire. Rumor is he does it with no price.”_ _

__“That sounds too good to be true.”_ _

__“I’ve met him.”_ _

__“Where is he?” Amber took another step forward, eyes wide. This was the chance she needed._ _

__“Camus’ old farm,” he stated. “If you go around to the back, you should find an old truck. If it isn’t there, he probably isn’t either.”_ _

__She thought for a moment. “Why are you telling me this...?”_ _

__“Simply being kind. Besides,” he smiled, “you seem very determined to find them.”_ _

__Amber tilted her head. She gave him a weird look, which quickly turned into a thankful smile. “Thank you. I hope you find your brother.”_ _

__Ivan smiled. “I hope so, too.”_ _

__———_ _

__Amber’s plan to travel to Selphia was seeming to become clearer and clearer with each step. She would offer him some of her supplies for a ride to Selphia. Possum was resting on her shoulders as she set off into a sprint, making her way to the sprawling fields of Kardia._ _

__She walked up slowly to the porch of the now dilapidated cottage, standing on her tiptoes to try and get a glimpse of anything inside. Finding that to be fruitless, Amber stepped down the stairs and around the back of the house. In the back was a rusty, light blue pickup truck. The passenger window was slightly rolled down. Amber walked over to it and looked in, raising a brow at the surprisingly neat state of the inside._ _

__Possum hissed suddenly, making Amber jolt. A zombie grabbed her wrist. She yelped as she began to struggle against its grip, dropping her shovel in the fuss, and panic grew as it began to overtake her in strength._ _

__A shot rang out and a spray of guts and viscera covered Amber’s arms and face. The zombie fell to the ground after another shot. She retched, flicking the bile off of her hand. Possum jumped from her shoulders and began to sniff at the corpse. Amber looked up._ _

__A tall man stood on the patio, a hand gun pointed up as he gave her a look over. He had long purplish hair in a ponytail, dressed in mostly black, save for a red shirt. He stared in surprise at Amber._ _

__“Uh… can I help you?” he muttered, putting his gun into a holster on his hip._ _

__Amber blinked and looked down at her torso, which was now covered in gore. “You got a towel?”_ _

__He gave her a once over, nodded, and went inside the cottage. He reemerged with a rag, stepping down and handing it to her. She wiped her face first, then her arms._ _

__“Thanks,” she said, before taking off her cap and wiping that down as well._ _

__“It’s… no problem,” he said. He walked back onto the patio and began making his way inside._ _

__“Wait!” Amber shouted as she put her cap back on. He stopped and turned to her. “Are you the guy taking people to Selphia?”_ _

__The man nodded. “Yeah. You need a ride?”_ _

__“Yeah! I’m looking for some people and I’m hoping they’re there!” She extended her hand. “I’m Amber. This is Possum.”_ _

__He came back over, taking her hand and shaking it. “Dylas.”_ _

__“What’s your price?”_ _

__Letting go of her hand, he stepped in for a quick second to retrieve the car keys. “There’s no price. Just doing it to be helpful.”_ _

__Amber squinted. “Not even food? Or medicine?”_ _

__“No, I’m good.”_ _

__“Oh, come on!” She threw her hands in the air. “We’re in an apocalypse and you don’t want _anything? _”___ _

____Dylas sighed. “Listen, kid—“_ _ _ _

____“Amber.”_ _ _ _

____“I know. But I really don’t need your supplies. I can handle all that by myself.”_ _ _ _

____She crossed her arms. “Well, sucks for you, but I won’t stop insisting until you agree.”_ _ _ _

____He sighed, rubbing his temple. “You’re stubborn.”_ _ _ _

____“Thank you!”_ _ _ _

____“That… isn’t a compliment.” He pressed a button on his keys twice, and Amber heard the click of the truck unlocking. “If you’re so sure about giving me something, we’ll split whatever you have 50-50.”_ _ _ _

____“Not enough! You’re doing an entire—probably multiple day—drive for a stranger. Demand a bit more!”_ _ _ _

____He squinted, then sighed in defeat. “Fine. You know how to drive?”_ _ _ _

____She did not. “Yeah?”_ _ _ _

____“Good. If I get tired along the way, then you’ll drive.”_ _ _ _

____“Done deal!” she agreed, leaning down to pick up Possum._ _ _ _

____“Is…” he started, looking at Possum in confusion. “Is that _really _yours...?”___ _ _ _

______“Yep. I’ve known Possum for 24 hours and if anything happened to him, I’d be really sad.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You named your possum...” Dylas began to question. He shrugged, walking around to the driver’s side of the truck. “All right.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Amber stepped over to the passenger side, climbing into the shotgun seat. She set her backpack down at her feet and held Possum in her lap. She reached for the seatbelt, finding that it was missing._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Do you not have seatbelts?” she asked him as Dylas climbed into the driver’s seat. He shook his head as he put his handgun into the center console._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Nope. But it’s all I have.” He clutched the wheel as he turned the car on. He grabbed the gear shift, looking to her before shifting it into drive. “You need to stop anywhere before we leave?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Amber hesitated, her hands balling into fists. She was tempted to stop by her old house one last time, but the sooner they left, the sooner she could start looking for Lumie. She scratched Possum’s head._ _ _ _ _ _

______“No,” she said solemnly. “I’d rather get going.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He nodded, putting the car into drive, and the journey started._ _ _ _ _ _

______———_ _ _ _ _ _

______Leaving Kardia was emotional for Amber. Driving away from the rolling fields and through the streets that she had loved all her life made her tear up. She pulled Lumie’s cap over her eyes to hide her tears. Amber shifted down in the car seat, curling up into a ball as Kardia got further and further away._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You good, kid...?” Dylas asked. She turned and glanced at him from under her cap._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah. It’s just hard knowing I won’t be back for a while.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He was quiet for a moment as they drove on, eventually reaching the end of town. Turning to look back, Amber squeezed the leather of the seat as she started to question leaving._ _ _ _ _ _

______No. No turning back now._ _ _ _ _ _

______Amber sat back down in the car seat. Possum crawled into her lap, curling up and dozing off. She set her hand on its back. The scenery of Kardia’s mountains slowly began to fade into a long, normal road._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hopefully you can find people in Selphia,” he said after a long silence. Amber looked over to him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah.” She started swinging her legs. “Do you have anyone there?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He shook his head slightly. “Not really. It’s just me.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“...Well, that’s sad.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Excuse me?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Amber tilted her head. “I mean no offense, but being all alone? It sounds horrible! Why don’t you go out and find people?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______She watched him tense, a scowl upon his face. “I—look—it’s not that easy. Can we just… not talk about this?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Leaning back into her chair, Amber crossed her arms. “All right.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______They drove in silence for a long time, the only noise being that of the truck, the roaring of the road beneath them, and Amber humming every now and then. Possum squeaked frequently, shuffling and crawling around the back seat of the truck._ _ _ _ _ _

______Amber was tapping her feet, staring out of the window, when she noticed Dylas speed up slightly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Isn’t there a speed limit?” she joked, grinning until she noticed the concern on his face._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Shit.” He was staring into the rear view mirror. Amber looked over her shoulder, seeing the cause of Dylas’ concern._ _ _ _ _ _

______There was a small group of zombies a couple of yards back. Amber knew what this meant—small traces of zombies meant even more were coming._ _ _ _ _ _

______“All right, kid, I don’t think we’ll have enough time for us to switch out, so…” He opened the center console, pulling out his handgun. “You know how to use this?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Amber’s eyes darted from the gun, to him, and back to the gun. She gently took it and looked it over. “Great news! I don’t!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“All right, well, no time like now to learn.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We just met and you’re teaching me to shoot a gun?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He stared at her. “Would you rather die?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______She paused. “Touché.” She rolled down her window, sitting so she was facing the rear. Amber held the gun up, aiming, before pulling the trigger._ _ _ _ _ _

______She didn’t hit anything—in fact, she didn’t even think it went off. She looked to Dylas._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Cock it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Heh, gross.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He rolled his eyes and reached over to the gun in Amber’s hands. It made a _chik! _noise as he shifted a part on the top. “Now.”___ _ _ _ _ _

________She nodded. Aiming again, she slowly pressed the trigger. The noise and kick of the gun made her jump, and she stared at the pistol in disbelief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“They make it look _so _much easier in action movies!” she yelled, repeating the same action Dylas had with the lever of the gun. Steadying herself, Amber took a deep breath before firing again. This time, she saw a zombie flinch back, just barely seeing a spray of blood.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Aw, yeah!” She cheered. “I hit one!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Is it dead?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You’re asking too much of me too early!” She prepared to fire again, this time missing the small horde entirely. Shifting the lever again, she attempted to fire before hearing a small click._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Fuck, I forgot to reload it,” Dylas groaned. He looked back into the rearview mirror, biting his lip._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You could just... floor it, right?!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I mean, yeah, but I don’t want to burn so much gas—“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We’ll move faster! So more speed, more gas? Right? That’s how cars work?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He gawked at her. “Do you not know how cars work?! You told me you could drive!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She panicked. “I can, but not well! Or legally!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE A LICENSE?!” he shouted, slowly starting to speed up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I DON’T EVEN HAVE A PERMIT!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“GOD— fuck. _Fine. _” Dylas applied more pressure to the gas, causing the truck to go faster. Amber turned backwards in her chair, rolling the window halfway up.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“See! We’re getting farther, faster!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“This is going to be a long trip, isn't it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________———_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Amber had dozed off at some point, head up against the window. She slowly started to wake as she heard the sound of crackling gravel beneath them. Sitting up, she looked over to Dylas who was now parking the truck on the side of the road._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“What’re you doing?” she asked sleepily._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Out of gas,” he said bluntly, shutting the car off. Dylas opened the car door, stepping out and slamming it shut. A second passed before the back opened, and he reached down to grab a bat and a rifle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Have those been in here this whole time...?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yep,” he said as he grabbed a strap attached to the rifle. He pulled it over, resting it on his back. “It doesn’t have a silencer, so I hardly use it. It’s good to use to draw zombies’ attention away from other people.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Amber blinked before opening her door and stepping out, as well. She grabbed her bag, her shovel, and set Possum on her shoulder. She saw the handgun still sitting at the bottom of her seat. She grabbed it before shutting the car door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________She walked around to the front of the truck to meet Dylas. Amber held out the gun._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“You should probably take this.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He shook his head. “I’ve got no more ammo. We can just leave it here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Amber paused, then nodded. She went back to the truck, laying it in the passenger seat, and then took a deep breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“So,” she asked, turning to him. “What now?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to SpinachArtichokeDitz once again for beta reading!

Amber’s feet hurt by the time they had made it to the Sechs’ border.

The temperature had been dropping gradually, making her begin to shiver. They soon reached the sheets of snow and frost that covered the Sechs Empire. The sound of ice crunching beneath them picked up with every step. Possum had retreated into Amber’s bag, curling up amongst her supplies and spare clothes.

“Is it always this cold?” she complained, wrapping her arms around her torso. She looked up to Dylas, who was a few steps ahead of her.

“It’s an eternal winter, so yeah.” He stopped walking and turned around. “Do… do you not have a jacket? Or a coat?”

She shook her head. “All of mine got taken back when this all started.”

Dylas squinted, watching her as she passed him. She got a few steps forward before she heard the shuffling of him placing his rifle on the ground and removing his jacket.

“Here.” He threw it to her., Amber dropped her shovel and barely caught it.

“Aren’t you gonna be cold?”

“Nah, I’ll be fine. I’ve got long sleeves,” he stated as he continued forward. Amber put her bag down, chuckling as Possum poked its head out, and she put on the jacket.

It was a black and white varsity jacket, a bit big on Amber, but she rolled up the sleeves and it was fine. She grabbed her bag and her shovel, quickly starting after Dylas. Walking in tow, a strange silence fell between them—not uncomfortable—as they passed the snowy hills and trees.

Amber had never liked winter, the only positives being Christmas and the ability to use more blankets. Sure she got time off of school due to break and was able to be with her friends more, but the cold. Just thinking about it made her shiver.

The empire was surprisingly serene for an industrial superpower. Plains covered in powdery white rolled over the territory, covered with thick evergreen trees that were also dusted with white. The gravel road turned into concrete pavement, the color faded to gray with age.

“Has it alway been like this?” she mumbled, clutching the straps of her bag. She glanced at Dylas.

“It’s been more quiet than it used to be. Less traffic,” he said as they continued.

Dylas was an interesting person. He was quiet and sort of brash, but Amber could tell that came from awkwardness. He had been quiet throughout the majority of their walk through the bordering forests, and he would probably continue to be throughout the rest.

———

They had fallen into a routine of setting up camp during the next three days, setting up when they grew tired or when night fell. This was another night where they went until dark, lighting a small fire in the cold. Amber cuddled up to the flames, Possum settling next to her. She reached into her bag to grab their nightly rations.

“Here,” she said, tossing a small can of preserved peaches to Dylas. He eyed it before shrugging.

“Why do you have so much sweet stuff?” he asked as he opened the can.

“Why not? It’s good!”

He sighed and shook his head, reluctantly beginning to eat. She watched as he grimaced at the taste.

“Sooo…,” Amber began. “what was your life like before all of this?”

He shrugged. “I fished a lot.”

“Oh! How come I never saw you at Spearfish?”

“I don’t live in Kardia. I got stuck there about two weeks after everything started.”

She thought for a second. “Where did you live?”

“Out west.”

“That’s it? Just… out west?”

“Does it really matter?” he snapped. Amber jumped slightly, making him tense. “Oh… uh, sorry.”

“You’re more socially awkward than my girlfriend.”

He lifted a brow. “You have a girlfriend?”

“Yeah! Her name’s Xiao Pai. I’m hoping to find her in Selphia.” She smiled while talking about her. “I hope her and her mom are okay.”

“Is this ‘Xiao Pai’ your roommate?”

“Oh, no! That’s Illuminata. She’s less my roommate and more my foster mom ‘cause I’m still in highschool.” She helped settle Possum in her lap. “I was supposed to start paying rent when I graduated, but I doubt that’s gonna happen now.”

He gave her a sad look. “I’m sorry to hear that. If it makes you feel better, I didn’t even finish middle school.”

“Really?” Amber blinked. “But you sound really smart!”

He shrugged, eating instead of elaborating. Amber squinted at him, hugging her knees as she scooted closer to the fire. Possum looked disgruntled, scrambling away as she shifted. She laughed.

“How much longer do you think we’ll be in the empire for?”

“A few days, give or take.”

She huffed. “Damn.”

“You said it.”

———

Two more days had passed, and they had made good progress with their new method. It had only gotten colder as they traveled further into the empire, so much so that they had to stop more and travel slowly to prevent slipping on ice.

It had made Amber miss Kardian winters, where it stayed in the 30s and 40s rather than the negatives. She really wanted to get out of the cold, so she decided to speed up to get farther faster.

Twice now this method turned out to be a bad idea, as Amber slipped and fell, causing a sharp pain in her ankle. Squeezing her eyes shut as she huddled on the cold ground, Amber lightly grabbed her ankle.

“Shit… you okay, kid?” Dylas asked, helping her sit up. The movement made her hiss in pain and he took off her backpack.

“Ankle hurts.”

“Gotcha.” He dug around, pulling out the small first-aid kit. Dylas opened it, took out the last bit of bandages, and lightly hoisted her leg on his knee.

“Ow!” Amber winced as he applied the bandages. He moved slowly after that.

“Okay, I think we should find a place to camp soon.” He handed her the bag after putting the kit back in, helping her stand. “We’ll move slowly.”

Amber groaned, seeing as that was the one thing she didn’t want to do.

They walked for about 20 minutes before spotting an icy gravel road leading through the woods. Breaching the tree line, the two spotted a red car in the driveway of a log cabin.

She looked up at him. “You think anyone’s there?”

He shrugged. “Worth a shot.” They began slowly making their way to the front door, where Dylas lightly knocked.

A moment or so passed before the door swung open. A woman with short pink hair and an eyepatch stood there, brow lifted.

“Can I help you?”

Amber spoke up. “Hi! Good to see someone else for a change.”

The woman blinked at her, eyes trailing down to her ankle. “You injured?”

“Yeah. Slipped on ice.”

She nodded. “Come in. You two can stay the night.”

They thanked her as they slowly stepped inside, and Amber looked around the cottage. It had a small kitchen with closed cabinets lining the walls. There were stools along the counter. Dylas helped Amber sit on one as he checked her ankle.

“I’m gonna be okay, dude,” she said, raising a brow as he tensed. He stood.

“Yeah, yeah… I know.”

“I can take a look at it, if you want,” the woman said. She knelt down, slowly unwrapping the bandages. After a moment of inspection, she nodded, wrapping the bandages back up. “You’ll be fine if you just stay off it for a bit.”

“Well, that’s good!” Amber said, a small smile on her face. She tilted her head. “Hey… what’s your name? We never asked.”

“Lynnette.”

“I’m Amber! This—” She motioned over to Dylas who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. “—is Dylas!”

She lifted a brow. “Have you two known each other long...?”

Amber shook her head. “Only for about a week. We came from Kardia.”

“You left Kardia to come here?” Lynette looked genuinely shocked at the prospect. “Why the hell would you do that?”

“We’re passing through,” Dylas mumbled, seeming antsy. “To, uh, Selphia.”

“Ah.” She leaned against the counter next to Amber. “Might want to hurry, then. This place has gone a bit… wild since this all started.”

“What do you mean?” Amber asked, tilting her head curiously.

“Well,” she began, brushing hair away from her uncovered eye. “When this all started, we looked to Emperor Ethelberd. Instead of helping us, he closed off his castle and left everyone outside to endure two weeks of hell.”

Amber blinked, exchanging a nervous glance with Dylas. She shuffled as Lynette continued.

“After those 14 days, people were fed up. They stormed the castle and, well...” She moved back into the kitchen, reaching into a cupboard and grabbing three mugs. “They killed him.”

“Oh.” She bit her lip, brow furrowed. “So it’s kinda just… every man for himself?”

“Basically.” She grabbed a kettle. “Tea?”

“Absolutely!” Amber chimed. She hadn’t had tea since this all started.

“I’ll take a cup, sure,” Dylas spoke as he slowly took a seat next to Amber. He seemed anxious—more so than usual—as he looked over the interior. He jumped as the kettle whistled, but then relaxed slightly as Lynette set down the mugs.

“You have any honey?” Amber asked. Lynnette shook her head. “Oh. That’s okay!”

Amber slowly sipped the hot tea. It was… bland, in comparison to the tea Illuminata used to make. It did the job of warming her up like Lumie’s tea, but there was just… less heart.

She set down her mug, watching as Possum crawled out of her bag. It shuffled around and up the stool, settling in her lap.

“Is that a possum...?”

She nodded. “Yeah! He’s been with me for a while.” She scratched his head.

“Well… if he doesn’t make a mess, then he can stay inside.” She picked up her mug and walked over to a door, opening it to a small room. “You can stay in here. I’ve got a futon you can use.”

“Oh! Thanks!” Amber slowly stood, leaning on the stool. Dylas got up, too, helping her walk over.

“I’ll stay wherever,” he said. Lynnette nodded.

“The couch?”

“That’s fine.”

Soon, the futon was set up, Amber got a blanket and a pillow, and she quickly drifted off to sleep.

———

“Amber! Pancakes!”

Amber’s eyes shot open and she sat up suddenly. She quickly looked around, beginning to calm down as she recognized her surroundings.

She was in her bed, at home, in her pajamas.

There was no snow, no Possum, no Dylas—just her light pink walls and sun pouring in through her blinds. Kicking off the blankets, Amber found her slippers and her charged phone, and then walked through the halls of her home in Kardia.

She got to the kitchen where she saw Illuminata working away at the stove, kettle on and flipping pancakes. She sat at the table and looked at the other in disbelief.

“How’d you sleep?” Lumie said suddenly, making Amber jump.

“Uh… pretty okay?” she said. She watched as Lumie placed Amber’s favorite mug in front of her, pouring her some tea.

“Okay is better than nothing!” she smiled. She grabbed some plates from the cupboard. “Wanna eat outside today? It’s warm!”

“But… it’s November.”

“Still warm.” Lumie shrugged as she walked out to the front door.

Amber felt… disoriented, to say the least. She grabbed her mug, looking back over to the stove. There were suddenly no dishes, pans, or anything—just a whistling kettle that seemed to grow louder and louder.

A scream rang out and Amber dropped her mug as she ran out the front door.

She didn’t find her porch, but instead, the fields of Camus’ farm. Eyes darting around, Amber couldn’t find Lumie, their house, or even the door she had exited out of. She couldn’t even see the cottage on Camus’ property—just miles and miles of wheat fields.

“Amber,” a voice said, gruff and flat. The girl looked around, starting to shake.

“Amber. Amber. AMBER—“

———

“Amber. Amber, get up.”

She groggily opened her eyes, seeing Dylas leaning over her and shaking her awake. Amber curled further into the blankets.

“Mmph.”

“Ambs, come on.”

She sat up, still wrapped in the blankets. “What's the matter..?”

“We gotta go.”

What?

Amber blinked, her eyes opening just a bit wider. “Why? What… what time is it?”

“2:00 AM. I’ll explain later. Come on.”

“I can’t walk, remember?” She moved so her legs dangled off the bed. “Hurt my ankle.”

“Then I’ll carry you, and you can sleep. Come on.”

Amber blinked, shuffling off the bed. Dylas handed her her backpack, and after she slipped it on, Dylas leaned down.

“Get on and close your eyes. We gotta go.”

“O…kay?” She got on his back, yelling as he hooked his arms under her leg. Possum emerged from her bag and concern was written on its face, too.

“Okay, just sleep and I’ll walk.”

Amber closed her eyes tightly, holding on as Dylas opened the door. The room smelled of rust and pennies, and she heard the sound of a fire crackling. She felt Dylas step over something and then he picked up the pace as they stepped out into the cold and snow.

———

Amber had fallen asleep at some point, slowly waking up as she was put down on the ground. Blinking, she saw Dylas prepping a fire, and then for the first time, she noticed his arm was drenched in blood.

“Holy cow!” she exclaimed, making him jump. He turned and stared at her, brow raised.

“What?”

“Your arm! What happened?” She scooted over, soon realizing that quite a bit of him was bloodstained. Her eyes widened as she looked to meet his gaze, only for him to turn away.

“I…”

“What happened back there?” she asked softly. Dylas sighed, continuing to work on the fire.

“Zombies were coming, and…” He tensed. “That woman was gonna leave you behind so we could get away.”

Amber’s eyes went wide, struggling to speak. “But… she seemed so nice? Why would she do that?”

“I dunno… but, uh… she didn’t get away with it, obviously.”

The girl leaned back against a tree, staring off into the fire. She watched as he wrapped up his forearm, which actually did seem injured, and as he wiped off dried blood from his arms and chin.

“What did you do?”

He froze, finally looking her in the eye. “I… knocked her unconscious. She probably won’t… um…”

“Oh.”

“I mean, she got me, too... ‘cause, uh…” He pointed to a gash on his inner thigh. “Yeah.”

“YOU’VE BEEN WALKING WITH A HURT LEG THIS WHOLE TIME?!”

“Woah, woah, kid, relax—“

“You got stabbed in the leg and said nothing?”

“It’s not a big deal, Amb—“

“You really don’t care about yourself, do you?”

He blinked at that. “I… excuse me?”

“You worried more about me than yourself, man. You… shouldn’t do that.” She yawned. “Do we have any bandages?”

Dylas pointed to her bag and she reached in, finding another first-aid kit. She passed it to him and closed her eyes as he got to work on his wound.

She hoped that she could finally fall asleep and stay asleep till morning, shivering in the cold wind. She dozed off, and the last thing she felt was Possum curling up into her again.

She wasn’t awake when Dylas draped a blanket over her, nor was she as the man stared up at the sky, lost in his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait! School and work happened but I finally got chapter 3 down!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another thanks to SpinachArtichokeDitz for beta reading!

Amber figured that they had been in the empire for a total of 11 days. The cold was harsh all the way through, only growing bearable as they passed through Maya Road and reached the edge of Selphia’s autumn forest. Reaching the woods, it felt like they had finally accomplished something during the trip—no more cars breaking down, no more injuries, and no more almost-sacrificing-a-friend.

It was nice, setting up camp for the last time. They had gotten quite a ways through the fall forest. In the distance, over the tree line, they could see a famous monument of Selphia—Leon Karnak, which was heard to be taller than the Sharance Tree. Seeing it made Amber wonder if it was left alone by the hordes of undead, but whether it was or not, she wouldn’t know.

She had kept the blanket wrapped around her, although she didn’t know where it had come from when she awoke the morning after the Lynette incident. Dylas told her he didn’t know, either, which just made Amber think that Dylas had put the blanket on her himself. It was cozy, and had kept her warm during the trek, but now that they were in the autumn woods, she didn’t have as much use for it.

Dylas was kindling a fire for what they figured, and hoped, would be the last time before arriving at Selphia. Amber was excited, nervous, and everything else about it. She was hoping that Lumie and Xiao were safe there, and if not, she’d keep looking for them.

Hopefully with Dylas right next to her.

He was still closed off, but Amber felt like they had grown close during the journey. Conversation had started to come easier despite him still being anxious, but the walking was no longer filled with silence. Of course, the majority of the talking was done by Amber, but the small responses she got were better than nothing.

“Alright,” he said as he stood, the fire starting to grow. “One more sleep ‘til Selphia.”

“Yeah!” She smiled, hugging her knees. “I don’t know how to feel about it.”

Dylas lifted a brow. “You aren’t excited?”

“No, no! I am! I’m just… scared, too.” She rested her chin on her knees as she gazed into the fire. “What if I don’t find anyone? What if I came all this way for nothing?”

“Then you get looking again, I guess?” he said, leaning back against a tree. Amber tilted her head.

“Would you come with me?”

He stayed silent before shrugging. “I don’t know. If you stay or not, I gotta go back to the truck and see if I can’t find gas.”

She stayed silent. “What if you stayed in Selphia?”

“What?”

“You know! You said so yourself, you don’t have anyone.” She looked up at him. “Why not get started again in Selphia?”

“I—kid, I don’t want to be in Selphia.”

Amber gave him a confused look. “What? But why? You could be happy there!”

“Ambs, really, I don’t want to—”

“You just want to go back to a zombie ridden Kardia?!” She stood. “You know Selphia is safe, so why wouldn’t you want to be there?!”

“Maybe being in new places isn’t for everyone!” He finally snapped, stepping away from the tree. “Maybe some people don’t want to find new people because all fucking hell has broken loose!”

“Well being with people you care about is good for you, even if you’re in danger, asshole! I’m taking a chance to find those people, and I don’t even know if they’re there!” She stomped a foot. “But I’m taking a chance, and maybe you should allow yourself, too!”

“I’m not worth the time!” Dylas yelled, startling both Possum and Amber. An uncomfortable silence grew between them, and the girl furrowed her brow.

“What do you mean, you’re ‘not worth the time?’” she finally asked, the silence surprisingly deafening. Dylas looked away, shoulders tight as he scowled.

“Nothing,” he said, sitting down on the dirt. “Just… get some sleep, kid. We still have a ways to walk tomorrow. I’ll… I’ll keep watch.”

She looked over him, his head turned away to avoid looking at her. Slowly sitting and laying down, Amber had her back to him as she curled up in the blanket. She didn’t plan on saying anything else, knowing that if he was going to keep watch, he’d have to concentrate. They had no weapons besides his rifle—the bat and shovel had been left behind with Lynette—so he’d have to be ready to get them up and move.

Still anxious and concerned for Dylas, Amber didn’t even remember falling asleep.

———

The crunch of snow was replaced by the sound of crunchy leaves beneath them as they maneuvered through stumps and trees. Amber preferred the fall to the winter, finding comfort in the normal November temperatures. They didn’t have long to go through the chilliness, which Amber was grateful for.

Of course, one of the bigger reasons was because of the awkwardness that settled back between her and Dylas.

She told herself that it was so he could be extra vigilant, but she knew that wasn’t true based on conversations they had while traveling before. Fiddling with the straps of her bag, Amber trudged behind him as they moved, silent and tense.

Dylas stopped suddenly, causing Amber to bump into him. His eyes were focused on a manor made of old wood in the distance, with a high stone fence that had creepy black spikes lining it. She looked over it before turning back to Dylas.

“Whatcha thinking about?” She asked after a short while. He jumped.

“Uh… whether or not it would be a good idea to make that a shortcut.”

Amber perked up. “How much time would it shave off?”

“I’d say… 30 minutes?”

“Well then, let’s go!” She began making her way towards the building, her focus on how close they were after all this time.

“AMBER!”

She began to turn, only to be pulled to the side as a zombie grabbed her. She screamed, trying to pull away, but it dragged her closer and closer—

A shot rang out, one she hadn’t heard before, and the zombie fell to the ground, its head a splatter of blood and mush.

“Fuck.” Dylas was holding the rifle tight as he looked into the woods. “We gotta go, come on!”

Amber only got a quick peek as more zombies began to emerge, running alongside Dylas towards the old manor. Possum poked its head out of her bag at the sudden commotion, almost instantly popping back in. The zombies weren’t terribly fast, though they were fast enough to cause the two to panic as Dylas thudded against the door once, twice, three times before it flew open.

Wood creaked under them as they ran through, carpet wrinkling with each step. Amber was out of breath—her chest tight as she stopped to breathe. Dylas was right beside her.

“Check the drawers, maybe there’s something we could use,” he said, pulling out and looking through a drawer of an old desk. Amber opened an armoire, finding it to be empty. She huffed.

“I don’t think there’s anything in here, dude, let’s just—“ She yelped as a zombie turned the corner, green drool emitting from its mouth. Dylas pocketed something and they both made a break for it, passing through a part of the manor that was outside before making it to another building on the property.

Running through the remainder of the manor, they entered what appeared to be a theater—old curtains hung from above, tears and holes adorning them. There was a stage- length staircase that reached out to the floor, covered with tables and chairs rather than rows of seats.

“Hopefully… we can get out without another problem, yeah?” Amber leaned on one of the tables, panting. Suddenly, she heard the slamming of the large wooden door that they entered through, and then a soft click.

She turned around, expecting Dylas to have closed it, but she didn’t see him anywhere.

“Wh… Dylas?” she called, walking towards the door. She tried opening it to no avail, realizing that the click was a lock turning. “Dylas?!”

“Listen to me, Ambs,” she heard him say through the door. “Get to Selphia. You’re gonna be okay.”

“What about you?” She panicked, starting to slam her body against the door. “What are you doing?!”

“Buying you time.” She heard a different click, realizing that it was his rifle.

“No. No, no, no! You’ll die!”

“You have people there who will care about you. I’ve got nobody.” He lightly knocked twice. “You’ve got this, kiddo.”

“Dylas, people will care about you, too!” she cried, still pressed up against the door. “COME ON! YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS!”

“I’m sorry.”

“DYLAS!” she screamed, choking on a sob. “OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!”

Amber pounded her fists and body against the wood, crying out with each impact. She was in hysterics—tears ran down her face as she heaved. Realizing her efforts were futile, she slowly backed away from the door before kneeling on the ground.

She screamed a long, pained cry, curling into her—his—jacket. Amber couldn’t breathe and her head was pounding, her brain struggling to process what had just transpired.

Eventually, she grew quiet, her body shuddering with each breath. She could hear several distant shots of his rifle, growing scarce as she stayed curled up on the ground. Slowly, she stood and made her way to the large doors at the front of the theater. Amber pushed it open, her energy draining as sunlight trickled in. Stepping out, Amber looked over the area, a large body of water just a ways away from the bottom of a dilapidated staircase.

Amber didn’t care, taking a step before tripping and falling. She curled up at the bottom of the stairs, letting herself pass out in the autumn sun.

———

She was in a bed when she awoke next, a thin mattress beneath her. Amber blinked, eyes adjusting to light that poured in from quaint windows. Turning over, she realized that she wasn’t at the base of those stairs, but rather... a doctor's office?

“Oh! Are you awake?” a soft voice said, and Amber sat up to see a blonde woman, presumably a nurse, at the foot of her bed. “You gave us all quite the scare, coming out of the Obsidian Mansion like that!”

“I…” She yawned. “Where am I?”

“You’re in Selphia, sweetheart,” she said as she sat next to her. “I’m Nancy.”

“Amber.” She squinted, her face quickly turning to an expression of horror. “Was I alone?!”

Nancy lifted a brow before nodding. “Besides a possum, yes. You were by yourself.”

Hearing these words, Amber grew choked up again, lying back down. She wanted to disappear.

“I’m sorry, are you alright?” She had a sympathetic expression on her face as Amber shook her head. “Well, I know someone who wants to see you.”

Amber gave her a confused look, wiping away a few tears. “Who?”

“AMBER!” a voice cried, and Amber saw someone running towards her. She wrapped her up in a hug, and the girl could do nothing but hold her, too.

“Xiao..?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it should just be a staple to thank SpinachArtichokeDitz for beta reading, but still! She’s been a huge help!!

Amber did not want to wake up. She wanted to stay curled up in the cot of one of the refurbished houses of Selphia, to stay in a deep sleep.

But she had work to do to help those still living.

Slowly sitting up, Amber winced at a sharp pain in her side. Nancy told her she had bad bruising along her ribs, but as long as she didn’t work herself too hard and rested well, she’d be okay.

She didn’t want to lay around and rest. She had work to do.

Sliding on her jacket, Amber paused for a minute. Every time she wore it, she felt like crying, but there was nothing she could do. He was gone.

Dylas was gone.

She silently stepped away from her bedding, looking down as Possum stirred. She smiled and knelt down to pet the rodent.

“We made it, Possum,” she whispered. “We’re here.” She silently picked it up, walking out of what was now her room.

She seemed to be in an old flower shop, making her heart hurt. Lumie’s flower shop was so much more colorful, the greenhouse lush with plant life. Sure, this greenhouse was fine, but it didn’t hold the same heart. It seemed as if it was more out of necessity to grow crops than the enjoyment of curating a garden.

Amber walked down the stairs, hearing a light conversation below. Looking over the railing, she saw two of the residents—twins named Frey and Lest. It was hard to believe they were related at all, since they acted so differently from each other. Lest was more serious, seemingly quick to tire of crazy antics. This was paired with said antics by his sister, who was quite snarky when it came to him, but seemingly good-hearted in the short time Amber had known her.

Frey looked up and over to the stairs as Amber descended, a warm smile on her face. “Morning! How’d you sleep?”

“Uh…” The girl shrugged. “Fine, I guess?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” Lest asked, arms crossed as he looked her over. “Nancy and Jones said for you not to strain yourself.”

“Can’t sleep anymore.” It was a lie, because she knew that if she allowed herself to sleep, she probably could for a whole week. But she didn’t want to, ‘cause if she tried, she’d be haunted by her loss.

She didn’t handle grief well, it seemed.

“Well,” Frey began, grabbing an old, pink watering can. “You can help me water some crops!”

Amber stepped down the rest of the way, taking the watering can as the other held it out to her. “Sure. What do we have?”

“Corn, onions, cabbage…,” Lest listed. “All sorts of other stuff, too.”

Fiddling with the tool, she looked down at her feet. “Do… do we have flowers?”

The twins glanced at each other, a sympathetic look on their faces. Frey turned to her and said, “Not right now, but hopefully when spring rolls back around!”

Amber nodded, walking out the front door. She collided with something—more someone, really—and she fell to the floor.

“Oh, shit! Sorry, Amber!” A hand reached out to help her up, and she soon met the silver eyes of Doug, a dwarf who had been residing in Selphia since just after the apocalypse started. He was loud and wasn’t the brightest, but in the one conversation she had had with him, he was fun to be around.

Dylas probably would’ve hated him.

“It’s fine.” She dusted off her skirt. “Need something?”

“Yeah, Xiao’s looking for you.”

Amber raised a brow. “Where is she?”

“Over at the old inn. Her and her mom are trying to spiffy it up a bit, so she asked me to come find you.” He shrugged. “She wants to talk to you about something.”

Amber gulped.

———

Stepping into the grand, albeit wrecked inn, Amber saw Lin Fa sitting on one of the couches in the lobby, drinking some tea. She perked up as the door opened, smiling and standing as Amber walked in.

“Oh, Amber! It’s so good to see you!” She enveloped her in a hug, warm and welcoming. The girl laughed.

“It’s good to see you, too, Lin Fa…” She pulled back, looking around the inn. “So… Xiao wants to talk to me?”

The woman thought for a moment before snapping her fingers. “Right! Oh my, I completely forgot…” She went behind the old counter and to a door, calling in for Xiao.

“Yes, mama?” she said as she walked out. Xiao almost immediately saw Amber, rushing over to hug her.

“Heyyy, Xiao.”

“Hello! How are you being?” she asked, holding onto Amber’s hands as she pulled her away.

“Tired, but… I can’t sleep anymore.” She squeezed her hands. “Too much thinking about what happened.”

Xiao gave her a sad look, placing a small kiss on her forehead. “Do you want to be talking about it? I could be of some help, yes?”

She smiled and nodded, being led to what was Xiao’s new room. It was nothing like her room in Kardia—no neatly hung posters or piles of stuffed bears in the corners—just an ornate room with a dresser, vanity, and bed.

Sitting on her bed, Xiao patted the spot next to her. Amber slowly sat as well.

“So,” she started gently, “what happened?”

Biting her lip, Amber began. “I… met this guy, Dylas. He helped me all the way over here from Selphia.”

“That was being nice of him!”

“It was. But… we had to take a shortcut through the mansion on that hill. We got to the end, and…” She sniffled. “He died.”

Xiao gave her a light hug, fingers stroking her hair. “I’m so sorry…”

“I… I could’ve done something…,” she sobbed. “I could’ve forced that stupid fucking door open… I could’ve just not gotten hurt, and we wouldn’t have forgotten our weapons, and—“

“You got hurt?” she asked, pulling away to look Amber in the eye. She nodded.

“Slipped on some ice. Thought a woman was granting us shelter ‘cause she was nice, but zombies came and she was ready to sacrifice me at the drop of a hat…”

Xiao perked up, standing and walking over to her dresser. Opening a drawer, she pulled out the baseball cap Amber had worn.

“It hasn’t done cleaning yet, but they had found it by you! I was deciding to keep it safe, yes!”

Amber smiled and took the hat from her, putting it back on her head. “Oh, good. This used to be Lumie’s…” She blinked, realizing that she’d never even tried to look for Illuminata. “Oh! Where is Lumie? Is she here?”

Her girlfriend tensed, her expression growing sad. She swallowed and sat back down. “I’m… I’m having to apologize, Amber. I… was going to be telling you sooner, but… I didn’t know how.”

“What… do you mean?”

“Lumie… died back in Kardia.”

She froze. The words were refusing to process in her mind and she blinked as she held back tears. Finally, she let out an exasperated, “What?”

Xiao clutched the fabric of the bed as she started to cry. “She got bit… the next thing we were knowing is that she was dead in Camus’ fields.”

She was right there. Amber was steps away from Lumie’s body when she went to find Dylas. Had she found it, Dylas wouldn’t have died and this whole thing wouldn’t have happened.

Amber didn’t remember kneeling down and starting to scream, or how Xiao held her as Lin Fa rushed in. None of it felt real.

Please, let none of this be real.

———

Amber sat and watched as Frey, Lest, and another girl—Dolce—handled the crops. She didn’t want to be alone or inactive, but no one was letting her work. Instead, she settled on watching them water and check on crops from empty soil, listening as Frey gushed over how well her tomatoes had been growing.

“Look at these bad boys!” She clapped. “Now that’s how you grow a crop!”

Lest rolled his eyes. “So you suddenly get good tomatoes for one harvest and feel like you’re the professional.”

“Hey!” She acted offended, punching his arm. Dolce was busy picking some yams as she stood up, shaking her head.

“You two are a riot.”

“Aww, thanks Dolce!” She gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, causing her to flush.

“That wasn’t a compliment.” She sighed, handing her a basket of yams.

“It is from you!” Frey said with a wink. Dolce just shook her head and continued to work.

Lest had busied himself with picking some radishes, eventually gathering a basket full and bringing it to Frey as well. “How we get any work done with you around, I’ll never know.”

“I’m a good motivator!” his sister joked, poking his side. “Have you heard from Leon today?”

“Ah, yeah. He went out with Vish and Volkanon earlier to do a quick patrol.” His words made Amber perk up.

“Y’all do patrols?”

The two looked over and Frey nodded her head. “Yep! We check the forest and that creepy old… house…” She blinked, gazing at Lest. “Oh.”

“It’s… fine,” Amber muttered, slouching back down. She watched as Lest silently walked over, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“You need to go? You don’t need to sit around and watch us work.”

“I’d rather be around people… I…” She swallowed back a sob. “I don’t know how to handle all this.”

“You don’t need to know. Grief is a bitch and it’s hard to handle.” He sat next to her on the soil. “Losing someone isn't easy.”

Amber curled up, hugging her knees. “It sucks.”

“Yeah.”

———

By the time the day ended, Amber was exhausted. Of course, she had barely done anything—not having been allowed to—but the mental weight was tiring. She trudged back to the upstairs level of the flower shop. Grabbing all the blankets in her room, Amber cocooned herself and allowed herself to sleep.

She had no dreams—it felt like she had just closed her eyes a second ago when she awoke. Morning light shone through her windows and she sat up. The floor was cold as she made contact and she debated getting back into bed, but with a sigh, she hopped out.

The flower shop was empty when Amber came down. There was a little note on the counter top. Picking it up, Amber read over it.

_Emergency at clinic! Be back soon! _  
_—Frey _____

____There was a little peace sign accompanying her signature, and Amber just put it back on the counter. She decided to take a walk, stepping out into the cold November air._ _ _ _

____It was almost December now, with most of the autumn leaves spread along the ground. There was a small pile outside the shop, a rake leaning by the window. Amber grabbed it, instead occupying herself with raking leaves. She hummed as she did so, looking up as she heard footsteps._ _ _ _

____“Oh, hey Amber!” Doug said with a wave. “How’re you feeling?”_ _ _ _

____“Fine, I guess?” She shrugged, resting an arm on the rake. “Selphia is weird.”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah.” He laughed. They awkwardly stood there, the conversation losing any semblance of flow it could have had. He whistled suddenly, looking over at the stream just a ways away from the door. “Shame you can’t rake the leaves out of the river.”_ _ _ _

____“Uh, yeah! Would make things easier for, uh… beavers?”_ _ _ _

____“Yep?”_ _ _ _

____“Give the girl an awkward break, man,” the voice of Frey said as she smacked the back of his head. “Morning, Amber! You saw my note?”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah! Everything okay?”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah, Dolly just needed an extra set of hands at the clinic.” She shuddered. “It was… rough.”_ _ _ _

____Amber perked up slightly. “What was?”_ _ _ _

____“Leon and the others found some guy with a super bad bite. He was lucky we could do what we did, but…” She grimaced. “We had to amputate an arm.”_ _ _ _

____Doug groaned. “Oh shit, Jones hates blood.”_ _ _ _

____“Exactly why he called me in.”_ _ _ _

____“Hold on!” Amber spoke up. “Who was he? Is he okay?”_ _ _ _

____Frey tilted her head. “They found him in the mansion—“_ _ _ _

____Amber didn’t wait to hear the rest. She ran up the steps to the square, sprinting across and down the other set of stairs. There were a few people outside the clinic as she approached._ _ _ _

____“He should be okay,” Nancy said, patting the arm of an older man, who was crying._ _ _ _

____“Volkanon, he’ll be fine!” a man with light teal hair chimed. He had an arm wrapped around Lest’s shoulders, who was leaning against him._ _ _ _

____“You four should go on and rest up. It’s been quite a day,” the nurse said, giving Volkanon another pat._ _ _ _

____“Thank you, Nancy,” Lest said, beginning to walk away. He gazed over at Amber. “Oh, hey.”_ _ _ _

____“Who’s in the clinic?!” she yelled, making the five of them jump._ _ _ _

____“Well, aren’t you eager?” The man stepped away from Lest slightly, grabbing his hand._ _ _ _

____“She’s just curious, Leo.”_ _ _ _

____He laughed. “I know, I know. We just found someone on death’s door in the mansion on the hill.”_ _ _ _

____“Can I see him?” she pleaded, looking at Nancy. The nurse gave her a sad look._ _ _ _

____“He’s resting right now, but I can send Dolce your way when he’s well.” She rubbed her shoulder. “I promise.”_ _ _ _

____———_ _ _ _

____The next 24 hours were a pain to sit through. She was finally allowed to help in the garden, which helped to pass the time. Eventually she was laying in the soil, surrounded by crops, staring up at the ceiling of the greenhouse._ _ _ _

____Anxiety drummed through her, accompanied by uncertainty and complete fear. She was getting her hopes up—there was no way Dylas survived the mansion. He couldn’t have._ _ _ _

____She heard small chatter at the front of the greenhouse, causing her to sit up. She saw Frey, Lest, and a man she had learned was Leon, making small talk. Sighing, Amber laid back down and closed her eyes._ _ _ _

____“Is Amber here?” she heard suddenly, causing her to bolt upright. She saw Dolce gaze at her, confused, before walking over._ _ _ _

____Amber stood up. “Yeah? Everything good?”_ _ _ _

____“The man in the clinic is awake, if you—“_ _ _ _

____She ran past her and out of the greenhouse. There was no crunch of leaves beneath her, as a light rain pelted down on the ground around her. She made her way back to the clinic, hesitating at the door. Amber lightly knocked._ _ _ _

____A moment passed before the door swung open, revealing Jones. He was the doctor of the town, the one that helped Amber when she was first found. He looked her over._ _ _ _

____“Yes? Do you need something?”_ _ _ _

____“I’m here to see the man from yesterday! Please!”_ _ _ _

____He blinked, slowly moving aside. “Sure. Right this way.”_ _ _ _

____Amber stepped in, pace slowing down as she made her way to the back room. She could hear Nancy talking medical jargon as she poked her head in._ _ _ _

____He was there. His purplish hair, tall stature that seemed so unfitting in a small bed, and usual anxiety._ _ _ _

____His yellow eyes glanced at the door and he fully turned his head. His eyes were wide._ _ _ _

____Amber choked back a sob. “Dylas?”_ _ _ _

____“Uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck with his arm, his other one now gone. “Hi.”_ _ _ _

____She ran over and hugged him, crying into his shoulder. He let out an ‘oof’ as she held on tight, shaking with each sob._ _ _ _

____“You asshole!” she said, muffled into his shirt. “Why the hell would you do that?!”_ _ _ _

____His arm wrapped around her. “I… wanted to make sure you’d get here safe.”_ _ _ _

____She let out another cry, shaking her head. “We could have made it just fine.”_ _ _ _

____They sat there for a bit, Amber crying into Dylas’ shoulder, but finally she pulled back and sat next to him. He was a wreck—his skin was pale, his hair was a mess, and of course his left arm was gone._ _ _ _

____Amber sighed. “I’m glad you’re okay, man.”_ _ _ _

____He smiled a bit. “Right back at you, Ambs.”_ _ _ _

____“It would’ve sucked a whole lot if you had died…” She hesitated. “Lumie isn’t here. She… she’s dead back in Kardia.”_ _ _ _

____He blinked. “Oh. I’m… I’m sorry.”_ _ _ _

____“I was horrified that you had died for ultimately no reason, man… you…” She looked him in the eyes. “You need to hold yourself to a higher standard. You ain’t disposable.”_ _ _ _

____He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Easier to say it than it is to believe it.”_ _ _ _

____“...Then stay here.”_ _ _ _

____“What?” Dylas was wide-eyed._ _ _ _

____“You’re already here. The people are super nice!” She was close to pleading by this point. “Selphia is just fine! You already have to stay until you’re healed! Why not just… stay for good?”_ _ _ _

____“I…” He bit his lip. “I don’t know, Ambs.”_ _ _ _

____“Will you at least think about it?” she asked. Her brow furrowed as he avoided her gaze, looking down at the bed. Amber stood. “Fine.”_ _ _ _

____“Amber, wait.”_ _ _ _

____She perked up. “Yeah?”_ _ _ _

____“I’ll…” He sighed. “I’ll stay for a bit. Not too long, but… I’ll stay.”_ _ _ _

____Amber cheered, hugging him again. “That’s great! We can both adapt!”_ _ _ _

____“You just said that this place was fine.”_ _ _ _

____She chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. I was hoping it’d help convince you…”_ _ _ _

____With a smile and a sigh, Dylas shook his head. “You’re one crazy kid, Ambs.”_ _ _ _

____“You’d be the one to know.”_ _ _ _

____———_ _ _ _

____It took a few months to prove that Amber was right about Selphia._ _ _ _

____It really was a good place—the city and its people were harmonious and they had a good survival system in place. Amber was able to garden again and finally got clothes that weren’t stained with viscera and zombie blood. She got a proper coat for winter, thanks to Dolce’s skill in sewing, and once spring came along, she was able to start growing flowers again._ _ _ _

____The loss of Lumie became more bearable, now that she was able to plant flowers. Amber grew them just about anywhere she could—outside a few of the houses and lining the plaza—but her pride and joy was the field at the base of the cliff she had fallen down. Sunflowers were growing tall and bright, petals lining the rocky cliff side and spreading around to the stairs._ _ _ _

____Along with her flowers, Amber was able to have both herself and Dylas fit in._ _ _ _

____His wounds had healed a bit before New Year’s, but Amber had insisted he stayed until he got used to going through day-to-day tasks with only one arm. She noticed his will to leave silently disappear as he got to know everyone. He grew close to Meg, Arthur, and Porcoline—three very different people that somehow found each other._ _ _ _

____Meg was an amazing musician who was already in Selphia when it all started. She knew Porco the longest, having worked at his restaurant for about a year or so already. Porcoline saw her as a daughter, much to her delight._ _ _ _

____Porco himself had lived in Selphia for the majority of his life, and he came from the wealthy de Sainte Coquille family. He got just as much from the town as he gave back, except for food, which was a struggle to get without having a bite or two missing._ _ _ _

____Arthur had come in from the capital city of Norad, and he was given shelter by Porcoline when he couldn’t get home. He quickly got around to helping the town adapt and manage, assisting in setting up safety protocols and daily tasks._ _ _ _

____It was strange to see Dylas fit in with the three, but it was almost seamless. Of course, the rest of the town wasn’t as easy, since with his awkwardness came being rude. While most of the townsfolk brushed it off or called him out, prompting an apology, one person saw him as a rival._ _ _ _

____To no one's surprise, that person was Doug. To Amber’s surprise, however, Dylas confided in her that he actually had a small crush on him-- of all people. She had laughed, much to his chagrin, but she promised not to tell._ _ _ _

____She was proud of him._ _ _ _

____They often went on walks to chat, today being one of those days. She was balancing on a small wall, arms outstretched, and he walked beside her as they headed towards Dragon Lake._ _ _ _

____“Watch your step. We don’t want you slipping on ice like last time,” he teased, a small smirk on his face. Amber snorted._ _ _ _

____“I wasn’t on a wall last time! And it ain’t even winter, so ha!” Almost as if on cue, she stumbled, quickly jumping off the wall and regaining balance._ _ _ _

____He laughed. “Right, right. Even without ice, you still slip.”_ _ _ _

____“Oh, hush!”_ _ _ _

____Dylas smiled—he seemed to be doing that more often—and she followed in tow behind him. “How are your sunflowers doing?” he asked._ _ _ _

____“Still taller than Doug!”_ _ _ _

____“That isn’t hard to accomplish,” he said abruptly, but she could still see his face go pink._ _ _ _

____She chuckled, starting to go into a small sprint, spinning around to show off her flowers as he approached. “Ta-da! Not as tall as you or Bado, but taller than me!”_ _ _ _

____“Nice, kid!” They stood for a moment, looking over the flowers lining the terrain of the cliff. It was a warm spring morning, with dew staining their shoes as they stood._ _ _ _

____“So…,” she started. “You like it here, huh?”_ _ _ _

____“Wh—“ He chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re not gonna let that go, huh?”_ _ _ _

____“You do!” She cheered, bouncing from foot to foot. “I told you!”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah, yeah.” Dylas smiled, snatching her cap and ruffling her hair. “I do.”_ _ _ _

____She squirmed away before fixing her hair. She reached up to take her hat back, but Dylas lifted it just out of her reach. Amber lightly kicked him in the shin, making him laugh._ _ _ _

____“Jerk! Give it back!” She chuckled, full on jumping up. After a few tries, he plopped it back on her head. She adjusted it, glancing over to Dylas before laughing. Soon, they were both cackling, sitting down in the grass as they looked over the lake. They fell into a comfortable silence, the breeze and birds singing around them._ _ _ _

____She looked over to him. He finally seemed so peaceful, a small smile on his face. Amber scooted a little bit closer to him._ _ _ _

____“Hey, Dylas?”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah?” He lifted a brow. He jumped a bit as she hugged him, but soon wrapped his arm around her._ _ _ _

____“I love you, man.”_ _ _ _

____“Love you too, Ambs.”_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit I actually finished a multi-chapter! Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!


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